Adventures in Javascript

Tag Archives: job fair

Last Friday, I attended the NYC Uncubed Spring Event, which combines a job fair with a bunch of neat workshops and speakers (http://nyc.uncubed.com/). It was hosted at the Met Pavilion on 18th Street in Manhattan, and I had a great time. However, it is not a free event, and I bought my ticket online ahead of time for around $35 bucks after using a discount code I found online.

At the event, registration was quick and efficient. Every attendee got a lanyard with a huge name tag that was color-coded so you could see their background, for instance, mine was yellow for being in tech. This made networking with other people at the event easier because you could visual find people with your background and talk to them about their experience.

Pre-Event Tips

Research Companies: I spent a few hours researching the companies that were going to be at the fair ahead of time. I checked out their missions and open positions and made a short list of the companies I wanted to talk to.

Practice your Elevator Pitch: You will have to answer the dreaded, open-ended question, “Tell me about yourself” multiple times at the event. It helps if you aren’t saying it for the first time with a cool company you would love to work at! 🙂

Resume: It was helpful to bring hard copies of my updated resume to the event. Even though some companies encouraged me to apply online, other people I talked to looked at the resume to frame our conversation.

At Event Tips

Have an Open Mind: Sometimes current open positions at companies have changed slightly from when you did your research. This is a blessing and a curse because you don’t have to waste time applying for jobs you know don’t exist anymore, but…that job you wanted doesn’t exist anymore. 😦

Crowds: There were a LOT of people there. People literally wait in lines to talk to people from hiring companies. However, the great thing was that most company booths had a bunch of employees, so you never had to wait very long to talk to someone.

On-the-Spot Research: The event had an app where you could find links to the companies and their open positions. After I talked to the top companies on my list, I explored other companies and got to talk to some really interesting people!

Make a Schedule: I did not get to attend any of the workshops I wanted to because I was distracted by the event itself! If you really want to attend a workshop, make sure you remind yourself about when it starts and ends.

Dress Code: The event said to wear what you felt comfortable in…most people were in jeans. It was a very laid-back atmosphere. In fact, probably the most relaxed job fair I’ve ever been to.

Beverages: If you want to drink alcohol, there was an open bar, but you had to bring your ID to get a wrist band. In fact, I saw both candidates and employers drinking, which I have never seen at an event like this. There was also free coffee, which was delicious, and also more my speed at a job fair.

Conclusion

Whether you are looking for a new position, or just to increase your network in the NYC area, I would suggest checking out their event next year. I think it was well worth the price of the ticket!